Delimitation an attempt to fragment Bengal, divide country: Mamata
The Statesman | 17 April 2026
At a time when the contentious Special Intensive Review (SIR) of electoral rolls is under the close watch of the Supreme Court, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday invoked a poignant line from Rabindranath Tagore to capture the anguish of voters allegedly left out of the rolls ~ “The voice of justice weeps in silence.”
The literary note set the tone for a sharp political offensive, as she accused the Centre, the BJP, and the Election Commission of India of undermining democratic processes.
With just a week remaining before the Assembly elections, the political temperature in West Bengal has surged. Addressing a rally in Mathabhanga in Cooch Behar district, Banerjee launched a scathing critique of the SIR exercise, declaring: “SIR means disaster ~ disaster for democracy.” She claimed that nearly six million names in the state had been struck off due to what she termed “logical discrepancies.” “I fought and managed to restore 3.2 million names, but many are still missing,” she said.
Banerjee also took aim at Union home minister Amit Shah, alleging attempts to permanently exclude those whose names had been deleted. “If we return to power, we will restore your names. And those who threaten to drive you out will be answered democratically by the people,” she asserted.
At a rally in Dinhata in Cooch Behar district, the Chief Minister sharpened her attack on Shah, accusing him of using the SIR exercise to label Bengali-speaking people as “infiltrators” and push them out of the country. She further alleged a larger design to divide Bengal into four parts, asking the crowd pointedly, “Which part will you belong to?” Invoking a well-known Bengali proverb, she said, “Tomare bodhibe je, Gokule barichhe se”~ suggesting that the very forces being nurtured would ultimately turn destructive. Calling it a “conspiracy,” Banerjee described Shah as its architect and warned: “The people will teach him a very good lesson.”
The Chief Minister accused the BJP and the Election Commission of conducting a biased election, questioning why such discrepancies had not surfaced in Bihar but had emerged in West Bengal. At another rally in Alipurduar, she broadened her attack to the Centre’s policies, alleging that delimitation was “an attempt to fragment Bengal and divide the country.”
Questioning the timing of the Women’s Reservation Bill, she said, “The 33 per cent reservation has long been discussed. Why link it with delimitation now?” She alleged that it formed part of a larger strategy connected to NRC implementation.
Banerjee also targeted Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, accusing her of violating the Model Code of Conduct by distributing financial benefit cards during the election period. “The Prime Minister should immediately dismiss his finance minister,” she said.
Responding to recent remarks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she refuted claims regarding the Seventh Pay Commission, saying: “We have already implemented it from February. Statements should be verified before being made.” She also rejected allegations of joblessness in the state, highlighting what she described as her government’s development initiatives.
Accusing the BJP of deploying workers from other states, Banerjee said, “They are outsiders, staying in hotels with large sums of money,” and cautioned voters against sharing bank account or phone details, alleging possible misuse.
Raising concerns over election security, she remarked, “If my vehicle is checked, then the Prime Minister’s vehicle should also be subjected to the same checks,” while also accusing central forces of intimidation and misconduct.
Ahead of polling, Banerjee urged party workers and supporters to remain alert. “Stay united, guard your areas, and ensure that EVMs are not tampered with,” she said, adding, “If you have the courage, fight democratically.”
After addressing two rallies in Cooch Behar and one in Alipurduar, the Chief Minister made it clear that the electoral contest in Bengal has now crystallised into what she described as a battle between “democracy and its destruction.”